***What was your date of dx, stage, treatment and current status...???***

[Sandy H]

I am kind of far out compared to the rest that have already posted. It is important for me to say that I am Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) a rare and very agressive cancer. I was told I had no long term survival perhaps, a couple of years and certainly, not 5 years!! I was diagnosed 03/01, IBC, stage 111b, (as all IBC is a stage 111b or IV if it has spread to the organs or bone)ER-/PR-, Her2+++, 44 pos. nodes. Treatment Ad/Taxatere x4, surgery, Rt. MRM with skin graft to chest wall, and my choice of Lt. simple mastectomy. 44 pos nodes. Radiation x5, then back to chemo Taxol and Herceptin x12 for skin mets (cancer in the skin/chest wall, IBC is a lymphatic disease) In and out of chemo (Taxol has been my miracle drug for skin mets) and NED to chest wall up to present. Scans every 6 months, do to my being IBC, so far no organ or bone involvement. I do lots of supplements, diet of lots of fruits and vegies, avoid dairy, meats, processed foods, exercise daily, drinks lots of water and get 10 or more hours of sleep at night believe in the power of prayer. I did reach my 5 year mark last month and still doing well. My doctors all tell me I wasn't suppose to still be here. For those out there that are given a death sentence or poor prognosis there is HOPE!! Sandy

[jener8er]

What a great idea - I love to hear everyones dx!
Me:
Mammo 12/03 - Clear (ordered as left breast was larger than right, felt different and hurt while I was nursing my daughter)
8/04 - Felt large lump in left armpit.
9/04 - Felt pea-sized lump in left breast
10/04 - dx IDC, 1cm, +DCIS, 4/20 + nodes (4cm+), ER/PR- HER2+++, Grade 3, Stage 3a
TX - Left MRM, 4xAC, 4xT+Herceptin, 35 rads, currently on 2nd year of Herceptin, will continue till December 06.
Proph. Mast with DIEP bilateral recon. June 06
All recent scans (brain, PET, bone) CLEAR!

[athena453]

I think my info is in my signature. I am currently 28 and NED. Next set of scans 5/5/06.

[Becky]

08/04 - found lump during monthly breast exam at age 45.

9/04 - lumpectomy 1.9 cm tumor 1/10 nodes positive. Her2 (3+) ER (50%) PR neg.
10/04 - joined this website at the start of chemo
4AC + 4 Taxol dense dose. Finished chemo 1/31/05. 34 rads (28 + 6 boosts) finished 4/05. ASCO meeting in May, 2005 presented Hera trial and NAmerican trial. They recommended Herceptin for any Her2+ woman who was 6 months or less out of chemo (they later modified this to 12 months) so I started Herceptin in mid June 2005 at about 4 months post last chemo session.

I should be done this June but my onco is recommending going to at least the end of September to cover my first 2 yrs beyond diagnosis. He may end up going for the second yr but I doubt it if there isn't any 2nd yr trial results. So, I will get at least 15+ months of Herceptin therapy.

Got ovaries removed 8/05 so I could also take Arimidex vs Tamoxifen as I am estrogen positive as well.

So far so good.

Becky

[tricia keegan]

DX 07/04/05
Lumpectomy 07/24/05
3/9 nodes
A/c x4
Taxol/herceptin x12 weekly
35 rads completed 04/26/06
Herceptin 3 wkly for a yr
Idc Highly triple positive

[Sheila]

Diagnosed in Feb. 2002 at age 49 (50th birthday gift!)
Found on routine mammo via calcifications, had been getting mammos every 6 mos due to family history of BC.
STAGE 1
Left mastectomy 2/2002, 0.7cm IDC, Her2 +++ by IHC, ER-, PR-, 18 nodes neg.
No chemo recommended due to neg nodes and small tumor size.
Reconstruction with tissue expander / silicone implant 9/2003
Enlarged lymph nodes in collarbone area found during reconstruction, biopsied & found to be Her2+++ Breast Cancer. Graduated to.................
STAGE IV, 9/2003 with mets to lymph nodes.
Herceptin started every 3 weeks. Stable until 3/2006 when lymph nodes in collarbone reappeared (gift for my 54th birthday)
Began Xeloda 4/2006 with Herceptin, lymph nodes shrank by 75% after 1 cycle.
Continue on Herceptin and Xeloda.
Just passed my 4 year mark...looking to the big 5 year one!!!!!

[Sue2001]

Excellent idea!

I found a lump while in the shower. Ultrasound showed 3 tumors.
Dx 1-11-01 at age 40.
Stage 3
ER-, PR-
Her2+++
4/13+ lymph nodes
Mastectomy on one side 2-6-01, had to take the muscle to get clear margins

Took part in phase 3 clinical trial for Herceptin:
Dose dense AC x4
Taxol weekly x12
Herceptin weekly for1 year
34 rounds of radiation

Still have troubles with Lymphedema, Neuropathy and Muscle Spasms.

NED for 5 years now, Sue

[Maggie]

DX 7/04
Lumpectomy 7/9/04
1.2 cn
Stage 1
Infiltrating Medullary Carsinoma
8 nodes negative
ER/PR neg HER/2 3+ (strong positive)
A/C X 4
33 rads ending 12/23/04
Herceptin approved for early stage in November, started 11/05 every 3 weeks for a year.

Maggie

[madubois63]

Stage IV IBC 1/12/2000 - age 36
Modified Radical Mastecotomy - 24nod/5+
immediate tram flap reconstuction (herniated 2x)
Adriomycin Cytoxin Taxol
4 1/2 years Tamoxifen
Radiation - 32 x
plural effusion 8/2004
thorocentesis - pleurodesis - video assited biopsy
Metastasized IBC to lung/liver/nodes 10/04
Herceptin Taxotiere Carboplaten
Femera/Lupron
Stable since April 2005
platelet/blood transfusions
-Maryann age 42 and counting-

[Olivia]

Found lump as a fluke - just adjusting bra.
Age 34 - Dx 12/12/04
1/12/05 Bilateral mastectomy with latisimus dorsi reconstruction and sentinel node biopsy
Stage 1 (2 lesions right breast .9 cm and .6 cm)
Grade III
Node negative
ER/PR-
HER2+
4 rounds of dose dense Adriamycin and cytoxin
4 rounds taxol
No rads
Started 1 year of Herceptin on 5/05(will be done 5/06) yikes!

Olivia

[panicked911]

semi regular mamos since age 35. I was diagsied at age 43.
7/22/05 - mamo tech.thought something wrong with left breast then said Ok. I insisted to Ob/GYN wanted sonogram
9/2/ 05 ( my deceased mother's birthday) had sonogram which showed small regular shaped tumor on right side. All docs said nothing to worry about the edges are smooth. Went to see surgeon anyway -she also not alarmed did sono in her office.
9/13/05 - biopsy at major medical center
9/14/05 (daughter's 10th birthday) diagnoised with er+ tumor right side.
9/18/05 see surgeon memorial Sloan kettering in NYC - not one small tumor but 3 ( two peas and a pencil point ) first surgeon biopsied "wrong" tumor.
10/5/05 - partial lumpectomy - three nodes removed.
three tumors in total 1.2, 1.2 .01 - one ever showed up on mamograms - her2+, er ( 80%) pr (70%)
started on tamoxifen 10/19/05
Nov. started weekly herceptain
December started monthly Lupron shots and switched to arimidex
1/15/06 - reexcission- radiooncologist did not like the pathology report - margin increased all around from .2mm to .1 cm. patholgy report on reecision came up completely negative.
2/12 started rads.
3/27 completed rads
april 18, last weekly herceptain - now going one every three weeks.
six month MRI scheduled for May 21. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Jackie]

Stage II, DX 4-05
EP +, HER2 +++,
1 node, 1.6mm
Simple Mast/Reconstruction Left breast 6/05
4x AC/4xTaxotere/Herceptin--finished chemo 11/05
Herceptin to cont. for yr.--stopped due to drop in Muga--hopefully to restart soon
47yrs. old

[julie a]

Diagnosed June 2004
2.7cm lump er/pr - HER2 +++ grade 3 no lymph node involvement
lumpectomy,6 months chemo and 3 months radiation
Rediagnosed January 2006
2 cm lump with mastectomy and tissue expander HER2 FISH ++?
March ct scan shows lung lesions - largest 8 mm
Will have last chemo of Adriamycin this week and start HERCEPTIN shortly

Good luck and best wishes to all!!
Love the site
Julie

[MJo]

Dx 10/28/05 Lumpendectomy 11/04/05
Stage 1 (.55 cm)
Node negative (Sentinel node)
ER+/PR+
HER2++
Onctoype score of 31 (21% chance of recurrence in 10 years)

Started chemo week before Christmas. Finished three dose dense A/Cs. Skipped 4th due to illness (anemia, respiratory infection and asthma). Started dose dense Taxol and Herceptin in March. Have finished three Taxols and five Herceptins. Having an easier tiime with Taxol, although I had to wait three weeks for my third due to low blood count.
Will have six weeks of Rads, and one year of Herceptin. Doctor advises five years of Arimidex

All the very best....MJo

[MJo]

Dx 10/28/05 Lumpendectomy 11/04/05
Stage 1 (.55 cm)
Node negative (Sentinel node)
ER+/PR+
HER2++
Onctoype score of 31 (21% chance of recurrence in 10 years)

Started chemo week before Christmas. Finished three dose dense A/Cs. Skipped 4th due to illness (anemia, respiratory infection and asthma). Started dose dense Taxol and Herceptin in March. Have finished three Taxols and five Herceptins. Having an easier tiime with Taxol, although I had to wait three weeks for my third due to low blood count.
Will have six weeks of Rads, and one year of Herceptin. Doctor advises five years of Arimidex

All the very best....MJo

[Christine MH-UK]

Diagnosis 10/2003, age 38. ER-/PR-, very aggressive and pregnancy-affected breast cancer, which worsens matters.
Chemo (6*FEC75) before surgery, so no accurate staging. Oncologist's guess was 2B. Mastectomy. At surgery, 8/19 nodes positive, so 4 rounds of taxotere given after surgery. 15 rads (including area around the collar bone).
One year herceptin started late (10/2005).
Currently NED.

[CherylS]

Diagnosed 2/2005, age 44
Lumpectomy 3/4/05
0/6 nodes
re-excision 3/17/05 for clearer margins
Stage 1, 1.7 cm, ER+ 75%, PR 4%, HER2 5.6 on FISH, grade 3
4 AC, 12 weekly Taxol w/Herceptin
Herceptin continued every 3 weeks for a year
bi-lateral masectomy 9/05, reconstruction continuing
oophrectomy at same time
Arimidex for 5 years

[jojo]

There ya go....

[sherri]

Dx Dec. 23, 2004
Stage 3 & IBC
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
High Grade Intraductal Carcinoma
Nuclear Garde 3, rate 3, tubular 3 = 9/9 poorly differ.
Lymphatic dermal invasion
ER/PR Negative
HER2 Positive 3+
Lymph node involved (but never done surgery)
Start Chemo ECT does dense 6 cycles (every 2 weeks)
12 days after last chemo, Left mastectomy
Path report after mastectomy:
No tumor after chemo
but still extensive involvement by residual intralymphatic high grade ductal carcinoma and involvement of dermal lymphatics
no evidence of residual invasive or in situ ductal carcinoma
maegins free of malignancy
45 days after 26 rads & started Herceptin every 3 weeks, will finish in June 2006
Jan 2006 UW Vaccine, the 3rd and last one in March 2006
Last Pet,Bone, CT, Mam, Ultrasound shows NED
It's a tough one but my oncologist thinks I can make it because I'm tougher.

[SherriT]

Diagnosed 12/02/05 - given the news two days before my 37th birthday.

Locally advanced breast cancer / Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)
Stage IIIb
ER/PR-
Her2+ (3+)
1.5 cm in size, right breast, inner quadrant
Nottingham grade 3
two underarm nodes abnormal looking but never tested
one abnormal supraclavicular node found but never tested
T2 N3c Mx G3 (poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma)

- Unsure whether nodes were actually involved or whether they were just "reacting" to the cancer as chemo was started right away.
- 12/22/05 - started FEC (fluoracil, epirubicin & cyclophosphamide) -four treatments every 3 weeks.
- 03/23/06 - started TCH (docetaxel, carboplatin and herceptin) -four treatments every 3 weeks.
- 04/01/06 - hospitalized for one week - low blood counts led to very seriously inflamed bowel/colon. Spent four days in critical care followed three days in isolated hospital room. NOT fun!! I am still recovering.
- treatment plan consists of right side mastectomy (unsure whether I should remove both?) followed by radiation.

Sign me,
Terrified that I've been given a death sentence and yet positive that I'll kick the crap out of this disease,
Sherri